Chapter 68: You Have No Idea What Kind of Danger You Are In
Two tenants were leaving at once—and tenants she was close to, at that. Granny Jin couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
Shen Lu noticed Granny Jin’s mood and comforted her gently. "We’re not moving far. We’ll come visit you whenever we have free time."
Cai Su nodded quickly. "That’s right."
"You two..." Granny Jin sighed. "You have to work hard. Otherwise, all that money will be for nothing."
After they had eaten and drunk their fill and chatted for a while, Cai Su took the initiative to clear the table, washing the bowls and chopsticks before placing them back in the basket.
Shen Lu walked Granny Jin back to her room. By the time she returned, Cai Su had already fed Xiao Lang and cleaned up the hot pot machine.
"Boss Shen, I’ll take my son and head home now."
"Okay. It’s dark out, so watch your step."
Cai Su readily agreed, then picked up Xiao Lang and headed home.
Cai Su had already finished cleaning, which saved Shen Lu the trouble. She picked up the cooled dough drop soup and went to feed Fu Cheng.
Just as she sat on the edge of the bed, Fu Cheng’s eyes fluttered open.
After spending nearly a month with Fu Cheng day in and day out, Shen Lu no longer felt as awkward as she used to when their eyes met.
"I had guests for dinner today, so I’m feeding you a little later than usual." Shen Lu scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his lips. "We’re moving in two days."
Fu Cheng blinked, as if to say he understood.
Halfway through feeding him, Shen Lu suddenly recalled Xue Can’s ridiculous behavior earlier and couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
"That guy is seriously messed up."
Fu Cheng looked at her, confused. ’Who is she talking about?’
’Me?’
Realizing his confusion, Shen Lu explained, "I was talking about Xue Can."
Fu Cheng’s eyes narrowed. ’For some reason, that man actually apologized to Shen Lu today.’
’He didn’t believe for a second that Xue Can thought he was in the wrong. There had to be something about Shen Lu that made it worth his while to humble himself.’
’I know!’
’It’s the food! The food that can soothe the Spiritual Sea!’
The color of Fu Cheng’s eyes deepened, and his gaze, fixed on Shen Lu, was filled with profound worry.
He desperately wanted to ask Shen Lu, ’Where in the world did you get these ingredients? Do you have any idea that your food has the ability to soothe and heal the Spiritual Sea?’
’Right now, not many Superpower Users knew about this. Besides himself, there were probably only Xue Can and Bai Lei. Fu Cheng didn’t dare to imagine what a horrific fate awaited Shen Lu if more Superpower Users found out.’
Shen Lu misinterpreted the look in his eyes. She lifted her chin and said with a touch of pride, "Don’t worry, I’m not going to forgive him just because of a few nice words. If I did, he’d think I’m a pushover and might even try to attack me a third time."
Fu Cheng grew frantic. ’That’s not the only thing I’m worried about! Shen Lu, you have no idea what kind of danger you’re in!’
Seeing him press his thin lips together and refuse to eat, Shen Lu said in surprise, "Huh? What, are you saying I shouldn’t forgive him?"
"That might not be a good idea. As you know, the Lower City District isn’t exactly safe. My own abilities are limited, so having a connection to Xue Can could offer me some protection."
’The taser baton and the 100% damage reflection weren’t foolproof.’
’One had limited power, and the other had limited uses. Shen Lu didn’t dare get complacent. It was always better to be safe than sorry.’
Fu Cheng’s fists clenched, and he bit down hard.
’Damn it, why can’t I speak?!’
’Even just a few words would be enough!’
But no matter how hard he tried, his throat felt like it was sealed with thick paste, preventing him from making even a meaningless grunt.
Suddenly, the man’s left arm, which had been hanging limply at his side, lifted slightly. His cool fingertips grasped Shen Lu’s wrist.
Shen Lu stared in disbelief.
’He... he... he... he can actually move that much?!’
Fu Cheng’s eyes were fixed on Shen Lu, his knuckles turning white from the effort, but he didn’t actually have much strength.
"Alright, alright. You’re injured, so don’t worry so much. Just focus on recovering." Shen Lu didn’t know what was going through his head; she just thought he was being difficult.
’Sometimes, when people are sick for a long time, it can affect them mentally, more or less.’
’They can become single-minded or obstinate, for example.’
Shen Lu had seen it happen before, so she could understand.
But understanding was one thing; doing what he wanted was another.
’After all, they weren’t that close yet. They were just fiancés in name only.’
Shen Lu patted the back of Fu Cheng’s hand, gesturing for him to relax.
After feeding him the rest of the dough drop soup, she had to get back to preparing the braised dishes.
’It was too late to steam rice tonight. No matter, she could just steam a pot tomorrow morning.’
While the chicken legs were blanching, Shen Lu went to check on the flowerpot on the windowsill.
She’d forgotten to water it yesterday, and remembering just now, she hurried over to give it a little water.
A tiny speck of green had poked through the dark soil.
It was so small that Shen Lu had to lean in very, very close to confirm that it was, indeed, a sprout.
"It sprouted?" Shen Lu was pleasantly surprised.
Back when she’d first brought the flowerpot home, the words of that little boy with glasses had shaken her confidence. Planting the scallions had been more of an experiment than anything else.
Shen Lu carefully calculated the time. It had been more than ten days since she’d planted the seeds. ’Plants grow so slowly here.’
Still, sprouting was a good sign!
The 100 jin of seasonings she had won in the lottery was almost gone. She had to exchange points for chopped scallions, pickled mustard greens, and other things almost every day, and it added up to a considerable expense.
If she could save on the cost of scallions, that would be fantastic.
Shen Lu carefully buried some food scraps in the soil as fertilizer, added a little more water, and then clasped her hands together, murmuring, "Little scallions, oh little scallions, you have to grow up big and strong. When you do, I’ll move you into a big house!"
She was now a woman who owned an entire building with a plot of land behind it. Giving the scallions a bigger space wasn’t just an empty promise; it was a promise she could actually keep.
With the chicken legs and dried tofu simmering away, Shen Lu cheerfully got ready for bed.
Just as she was about to lie down, she froze.
’Wait, didn’t I forget something?’
Shen Lu glanced at Fu Cheng, then looked down at his left hand.
’Tonight, I’m sleeping in a different position. I can’t let him grab my hand again.’
’It just felt too weird for the two of them to sleep all night holding hands.’
Shen Lu lay on her side with her back to Fu Cheng, resting her right hand on her waist. She activated her Light Brain’s screen and started watching videos, hoping to get drowsy.
Fu Cheng: ...
Fu Cheng: ?
’What is she doing?’
Unable to hold Shen Lu’s small hand, Fu Cheng felt an emptiness not just in his palm, but in his heart. He couldn’t sleep soundly all night.
The next day, Shen Lu woke up with her left cheek creased from sleep.
The Light Brain detected its user’s sleep status and automatically adjusted its mode.
As soon as Shen Lu woke up, her Light Brain automatically exited silent mode, and messages from Bai Wanwan began popping up one after another.
Bai Wanwan: I thought about it all night, and I still don’t get it, so I have to ask.
Bai Wanwan: Did you really agree to work with that Xue Can guy?
Bai Wanwan: What’s so great about him? Why would you choose him over my brother?
Bai Wanwan: Shen Lu, you’re not just turning my brother down because of me, are you?
...